Why didn’t the Democrats embrace marijuana reform in Massachusetts?
Last night, Scott Brown (R-Mass.) beat Democrat Martha Coakley in a special election to replace the late Senator Ted Kennedy, becoming the first Republican to hold a Senate seat in Massachusetts since the 1970s. So what happened up there?
To state it simply, the Democrats chose a bad candidate. They backed one of the most vocal and public opponents of the MPP-funded ballot initiative, Question 2, which decriminalized marijuana possession in Massachusetts in 2008. Question 2 was more popular than President Obama on Election Day, garnering 65% of the vote compared with the president’s 62%. All but three towns in the state supported the initiative.
There is a lesson here for Democrats and Republicans alike: Support for marijuana reform will help, not hurt, a candidate in elections. Public support is surging forward. Polls on legalization are moving quickly toward majority approval nationwide — in the west, it’s already passed the 50% mark — and medical marijuana enjoys 81% support. Politicians on both sides of the aisle must recognize that it’s time to use this populist platform as a tool for winning elections.
Scott Brown is not a card-carrying member of the marijuana reform movement by any stretch of the imagination. As a state senator, he proposed that possession of marijuana in a vehicle remain a criminal offense, attempting to pull back parts of Question 2. But Brown was not a leading opponent of the measure nor was he publicly associated with the issue, as Coakley was. The lesson here, however, is of the could have should have variety: Democrats could have backed a candidate that supported Question 2, and they should have used marijuana reform as a tool in the campaign. Had they, today’s election results may have looked a lot different.
Tagged with: Congress and Massachusetts by the author
40 comments
Especially in a state where Congressman Barney Frank has been so kind to the cause…
Should have nominated Congressman Capuano hes in the same camp as Cohen on this. Oh well just wait another 3 years ugh.
Yeah, but are they listening? I doubt that marijuana reform is/was even on their minds during this whole election process. If it was, then it wouldn’t be an issue (to us) like it is now. So in other words, Ben, while we’d probably all agree with you, I think you’re just preaching to the choir over here.
HEAR, HEAR! This means you, Obama. You should be afraid of 2010. Use Jim Webb’s prison reform bill as a tool in the coming elections! You have 10 months to get on the ball!
I agree with the author here. Her opposition of this bill made her look old, crotchety, unsympathetic, tyrannical, and stuck in the 1940s. Sure Brown tried to water it down once it passed, but he did not step in the way of its passing. I just hope he dosen’t try and get the question repealed. But like Ben said, it should signal to politicians nationwide that this issue has reversed itself from support meaning political suicide, to oppposing it being a career killer.
Also, everybody I knew in the early 90s that voted for Clinton, voted for him for the simple fact that he smoked weed in his lifetime. I remember the rumors, “If he wins, he’s gonna legalize.” Another one I liked is, “Clinton has already said he’d legalize it if he got elected.” They were stupid rumors, but I personally believe they are the biggest reason he won with such a landslide.
They’re too worried about back room deals and lies about transparency stole this seat from the dems.
When are the Republicans going to see prohibition in the correct light? Prohibition is Big Government reaching into your lives farther than they should be. Conservatives should be opposing prohibition on the grounds that it costs money in the form of higher taxes, it’s an intrusion into the free market, & it’s only here to begin with because of the interstate commerce clause of FDR’s New Deal.
Conservatives should rally around small government, less taxes, more freedoms, less government say about what we do.
Too bad they are still stuck in 1937.
i didnt vote simply because capuano wasnt in it….. it was a choice between 2 big piles of shit and the only argument was which one didnt smell as bad…… just like almost every other election……
Seems like any smart political strategist should be able see the trend that pro-cannabis candidates are going to do much better. With the numbers that WE bring to the table, plus the votes they would get anyway, seems like an equation for a sure win.
Obviously, they haven’t figured that out yet. Hey maybe I should run for office!
This blog post should be an illustration in an online dictionary entry for “straining credulity.” MJ reform just was not on the top of voters’ concerns in this election. Coakley lost by 100K+ votes and got creamed in the suburbs. She definitely could not have netted that many votes with a different position on pot.
Good analysis Ben. Someday some major candidate will finally embrace marijuana law reform without reservation, and will be rewarded handsomely for it on election day. That will be the death-knell for marijuana prohibition. We need one person to succeed on that platform, that’s all.
If CHOAKLEY hadn’t taken a three week vacation from the campaign in December… she probably wouldn’t have lost her 20 point lead.
This was an example of poor campaign strategy… thinking that because the predecessor was the most Liberal Senator in Congress that there was no way to lose against a Republican. The results had little to do (if anything) with her position on Question 2.
Well, I like the fact that he won because it has the Democrats thinking what would and could be their next selling point to win another seat in the Senate.
Perhaps that winning point will be Full Out Legalization of cannabis.
See the post below for the letter I received from a Senator over Legalization.
The results had little to do (if anything) with her position on Question 2.
I don’t think she owes her defeat to her position on Question 2. It’s still tough to lose an election because of drug war rhetoric.
But it’s increasingly plausible that a politician could indeed win an election based on a cannabis reform stance. It’s the sort of issue that’s off voters’ radars, until a candidate puts it front-and-center. ABC News just released a poll showing greater than 80% support nationwide for medical marijuana access. I’d be stunned if that sort of broad support couldn’t be translated into votes with the proper platform.
Marijuana law reform is a real cause and not a tool in a campaign.
While I appreciate the sentiment toward marijuana is real and growing, I think that raising the “green bud” banner may have helped Coakley, but it would NOT have won her the election.
The fact is that Coakley was out of touch with public sentiment about health care and higher taxes. Taxes are out of control, and mandatory health care insurance is expensive for taxpayers.
For too long, Democrats in this State have acted with an arrogant sense of entitlement and authoritarian disregard for public opinion. They ignored our outcries on all kinds of matters, and our State is now broke due to Socialistic policies instituted by Democrats.
I knew of Coakley’s involvement in decriminalizing pot and championing gay rights, which I approve, but it did not make me desire her high taxes and oppressive health care requirements.
Pot is decriminalized here in Massachusetts as it should be everywhere, and she should be proud of her achievements, but it doesn’t make her any better of a candidate.
Monday the 25th. South dakota will turn in 30,000 signatures, twice as many needed, for a medical mj. bill. This will be another step in the right direction. I do not know any details of the bill but any is better than none. Good luck is S.D., from Mn.
My 2 cents… this whole things of politicians is exactly meant to make it impossible for the citizens to do something and the corporations of this country have every citizen by the balls…
I like to give a big shoot-out to all those lazy Massachusetts democrat stoners out there for not going out to vote, obviously. One little dercriminalization law and it’s forget about voting and politics. Way to go!
This should be a wake up call to the rest of you. The GOP is pissed! They’re coming out guns-a-blazen to the voting booth. These people are dangerous, sober, and crazy. Watch out.
Robert Yeatts: “Conservatives should rally around small government, less taxes, more freedoms, less government say about what we do.
Too bad they are still stuck in 1937.”
Many of them are coming around to that idea, or are at least receptive to rationally discussing it. Even Glenn Beck is open to drug legalization, for crying out loud, but to be fair he’s more of a libertarian than other talking heads (like O’Reilly). I’ve found that your average every-day conservative isn’t adamantly opposed to legalizing marijuana, and they can be swayed with sound arguments that respectfully address their concerns.
Both Republican and Democrat politicians are out of touch with the growing popular sentiment in favor of reforming marijuana laws. We all remember Obama’s town hall meeting where he laughed at marijuana legalization, so Republicans aren’t the only ones stuck in 1937.
Look, the only thing I’m saying is that marijuana prohibition isn’t owned by the Left or the Right. We can change things, but we have to be on the same team and we have to be willing to hold our guy accountable. If you’re a liberal, try to convince your liberal friends, and be sure to let your Democratic politicians know where you stand. Likewise, if you’re a conservative, try to convince your conservative friends, and be sure to let your Republican politicians know where you stand.
Partisan mudslinging only divides us and ultimately undermines the issue that we should be united on.
Ben,
Great points in your article. You’re probably right about how supporting marijuana reform could help a campaign. Given how close Coakley came, she could very well be the next MA senator if she had supported sensible reform instead of vocally opposing it.
Of course we both know that there are other serious issues in play as well, but supporting sensible reform isn’t the political albatross it once was. When will politicians learn that lesson?
last night on Hardball, Chris Matthews kept searching for a reason for the democrats loss in MA.
NOT EVEN A HINT ABOUT MARIJUANA.
in michigan, 2008, MMJ received more votes than President Obama.
medical marijuana is a safe subject for career politicians now. but full out legal free market-grow your own marijuana is too hot for most.
that’ll happen through voter initiatives.
VOTERS in states with initiatives will force President Obama’s hand IF he wants to get re-elected. When Oregon’s initiative passes this November, and come January 1st, 2011 when it takes effect there will be LOTS of discussions by MANY.
i believe it will open the schedule one issue and how it pertains to marijuana and Hemp.
unless the economy and afganistan turn around in the next 16 months, President Obama is going to need SOMETHING to help him get re-elected.
perhaps Senator Webb’s crime and prison reform could help Obama. but, i think that after Oregon leads the way to state’s rights versus schedule one pertaining to cannabis and hemp, the timing will be perfect for him, or AG Holder to open up the drug scheduling subject.
marijuana MIGHT not have been able to save Coakley, but i think it COULD benefit Obama.
i wondering what other choice he has.
The subject of any legalization still carries a lot of baggage. People in general may be indifferent to it, but the other politicans and the media are the peers they all conform to.
I believe there were more pressing issues than cannabis law reform that affected that particular election. I believe there will be in the next election cycle as well. It is true that cannabis reform can be a part of a candidates’ platform, but in a world where issues like health care, wars, hunger, global warming,Iran nukes, etc. are issues, cannabis law reform is just not something to make the staples of a campaign platform.It’s all about perspective.
Marijuana prohibition has been a total failure and is perhaps this country’s greatest mistake. Not only has it created criminals out of nearly a third of the country’s populace, it costs our society billions of dollars every year, creates a strain on our prison system, and has little or no effect on marijuana use in the US. In some cases, prosecuting marijuana use has turned non-violent, middle class kids into violent and unpredictable, career criminals. Once a person has a criminal conviction on their record, they are far less likely to find a good job and become a useful member of society. Other countries with more liberal drug laws have much lower rates of drug addiction among their people. I invite you to my web-page devoted to raising awareness on the assault on our civil liberties: http://freethegods.blogspot.com/
Whether or not the election hinged on their support is now a moot point, however, it is obvious that garnering the “green vote” should be on the minds of politicians. We are a major voting block now and we have numbers that cannot be ignored. We want the laws changed and we back it up with votes and dollars. Old guard take notice!
I have a hopeful feeling that marijuana reform will become a large issue during the 2012 Presidential Elections, at least I hope so! And the candidate that offer the most sympathetic and sane response on this issue will be elected! The time has come to decriminalize (tax & regulate) marijuana!
Perhaps all the people who want marijuana to be legal are going about it the wrong way. If the government wants to decide that they are the ones who decide what is medically best for a patient even though they may not be experts in the medical field, maybe we should just have some kid that works at McDonald’s declare a new law stating all drugs are legal. Not really his area of expertise, but who’s counting…
May 2nd is the Global Marijuana March. I am bringing my 2 sisters who do not smoke pot. Because of my corporation I work for, I also do not smoke pot currently. One sister has had cancer and the other is a nurse. We will march in Austin, TX. I urge you to get off the couch, grab some non pot users who understand that prohibition does not protect kids and hurts our country, and hit the streets on May 2nd. If we can get the type of attention as Tea Baggers, we can expedite legalization by years if not decades. The economy will not always be bad, and we may not always have a semi-marijuana friendly President. Make a commitment to march on May 2nd and bring people with you, or be satisfied with living your life under prohibition. But this window for change is short and now is the time for you to make a stand for freedom. Until individuals become active in change, nothing in America will change for the better. See you on May 2nd my Patriots.
David Scotts, love your web-cite as per above, and the San Francisco photos You provided.
Thank you very much and I love your comments also.
All of the pic’s aren’t loading for me…but oh well.
I am now e-mailing you an extra special scene of an island forming in front of people’s eyes in the South Pacific recently.
Good Day Everyone!
Holy Smokes. I think I will start a new organization called RAMP.
Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition. As a fiscal conservative I see no reason for the continued support of the governments prohibition of marijuana and adults who choose to use a non-lethal substance for recreational use. Read— Adult use, not kids or teenagers. The best way to protect the children would be to legalize and allow controls for on-site sale, trade, barter, growing, and taxation of the plant by responsible adults. Not cartels commiting murder. Think Local, Smoke Local.
rev.sLEEzy
TULCOTHS
Lone member of RAMP
I heard a commercial on the radio yesterday about a teen club under 21. I rennet going to one 3x when I was under 21. The only drug that wasn’t in wide use was alcohol. Every other drug was all over the place.
I’ll bet if any other of those drugs were regulated, they may not have been completely obsolete, but surely in more scarce supply. Instead of considering these clubs non-alcoholic, they should just say, “anything goes…but alcohol.”
Rev. Sleezy, I like your proposal. Marijuana has had a huge influence on my opinion if political bodies. I was often confused by finding usually more republicans against marijuana than other parties. Initially I was under the impression republicans were for less government, so this one agenda made me believe republics were the party for more government control.
One bad agenda can turn a deaf ear to many new policies to come. If my rep came out and said I can’t go outside on Saturdays cause purple dinosaurs will stomp on my left kidney, I’d say their fair chance at getting me to listen to any idea of theirs is shot.
I live in mass and voted for question 2 and supported it vigorously and you mean to tell me this sun of a bitch could repeal the whole damn thing??WTF THIS IS BULLSHIT
Marijuana law was never made an issue in this election, so I don’t believe that either candidates’ stance on decriminalization made any difference in the outcome. They basically had the same stance on Question 2. Coakley tried to obstruct it getting passed and Brown tried to walk it back once it was passed. Brown didn’t get the “green vote” because we was a hair less of a prohibitionist than his opponent. No one got the “green vote”. But in the tea leaves there are some positive signs for the movement. Voters has proved that nothing is sacred when it comes to how they are voting. They are now ignoring this “red team/blue team” mentality and voting for the candidate they believe actually represents change. Scott Brown had to label himself as “anti-establishment” in order to get elected. This story will play out in districts all across America come November. There is a very anti-incumbent attitude prevailing in America today. Both parties have equal negative ratings among the citizens of the United States. I expect new faces both Republican and Democrat will be trying to paint themselves as “anti-establishment” in an effort to distance themselves from the failed policies of the incumbents they are challenging. In the process many may be more open to the concept of marijuana law reform. Other bright spots are, for all of Coakley’s crusading, she lost a seat that was literally supposed to be given to her. Her political career is now effectively over. Also Scott Brown is now out of Massachusetts and no longer able to meddle in the will of the voters. He is being sent to the ineffective prohibitionist bastion of Washington DC just in time to see dispensaries spring up throughout the district.
#35
Scott Brown’s election has no effect on the status of Question 2 at all. This is for a federal Senate seat so he will no longer have any power in State of Massachusetts matters whatsoever.
I just read a statistic that 21M people have been arrested for pot since 1937.
Once it is completely legalized, just think of the positive ripple effect that has taken root now, in at least decriminalizing people in general.
It is our First Amendment Right to Freedom Of Religion and I read The Bible as much as possible.
I personally believe anointed with oil came from a recipe from about 10,000 years ago (or so I read) and cannabis was part of that ancient medicinal remedy.
I hope everyone receives their due freedom and human rights and real soon too.
My boyfriend doesn’t understand that I have never understood politics, so I hope I’ve not offended any Democrats or Republicans.
If only we could make them completely stop arresting us, then the world would be a better place for all of us to live in.
I live in MA Im a registered independent I vote democrat or indy every time. Massachusetts IS NOT A LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC STATE. iTS PREDOMINANTLY REDNECK REPUBLICANS
I live in MA Im a registered independent I vote democrat or indy every time. In Ive campaigned for medical marjuana reform as well as dozens of other liberal causes in the state for years, let me tell ya:. MASSACHUETTS IS NOT A LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC STATE. ITS PREDOMINANTLY REDNECK REPUBLICANS. There are a solid minority of over educated liberal democrats in MA that everyone thinks is a majority but its a minority. The vast number of MA Republicans never went to college. Scott Brown’s pickup truck won him the race. The Great Society died long before Ted Kennedy. The Kennedys dont even give a shit anymore. The state population at large hate Democrats here out of hand out of spite, Ive heard dozens of state citizens say exactly that. This place is a lost cause. No amount of higher ed can turn back the redneck rampage. Guaranteed theyll all vote for Palin for President 2012, they LOVE her bullshit here. I shouldve been in California years ago. FUCK YOU MA i fucking hate you
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